Here's another chapter! I didn't plan on updating tonight but it's been awhile so I felt bad :P Read and review! I know a lot of you like this story or you wouldn't follow it; one little sentence of a review each time I update would lend to faster updates and more enthusiastic (I.e. Better) writing.
"Stop!" I call sternly, crossing my arms and shaking my head. Luke rolls off of Spencer, allowing the second man to stand up next to him. Spencer just tried to swing at Luke, an obvious, roundabout advance Luke was able to duck out of and rush him for.
Luke grins, his blonde, shaggy hair ruffled above his bright blue eyes. Although he's just twenty two, he's strong and focused when needed. Spencer is a year younger and slightly smaller, but that's no excuse for failure.
"Circle up again. Get in your stances, too. Okay, there's your problem, Spencer." I raise my fists up to my face, holding my elbows at my chest and pointing out from my body. "This is where you have your arms. When you hold your arms this high, you lose protection for your ribs and gut." I extend my fist and tap his rib cage lightly in demonstration.
"Lower them and loosen your fists. Stay loose, you want your senses ready, relaxed, and observant. Better. Luke ducked under your punch because it started so high and had to come all the way around this arc. Stick to shorter, lower jabs - they're quicker and harder to block. If he wraps around you like that, though, here, go ahead and grab me." Luke wraps both arms around my back and steps his body into me.
"His weight will probably knock you over. Brace your foot for leverage, but don't worry about staying up. Use your elbows and aim for the base of his neck on the way down. He might lose ground and let up so you can get away, he might not. Either way you could cause some damage."
"Okay, so keep arms down, use elbows, stay loose."
"And tuck in your arms more. Keep them close to your body. Then you're good." I smile and back off, letting the pair drop into their stances and circle once more. Luke moves first with a right jab, deflected up by Spencer's forearm. He goes for the gap with his right fist, but Luke sends the fist down with his free hand. Spencer panics and tries to bring his left arm back around, but Luke ducks under and grabs the arm. He pulls it backwards and steps on the back of Spencer's knee with his foot, forcing his knee to give out and allowing Luke to push his shoulder down until Spencer hits the ground.
Both men stop before I have to intervene, Luke the clear winner.
"Better stance, Spencer. You just need to stay calm. You may not connect with the first punch - you have to focus for whatever comes next. Win the war not the battle."
I turn and walk off for another group where two women are going at it. Their arms are locked together. The red head lashes out for the brunette's ankle and sends her down, but the brunette pulls her down with her. They roll over twice, fighting to stay on top. I jog up and catch their arms, pulling them away.
"Alright, alright! No one's winning at this point unless it's a real fight to the death!" They both stand, panting and looking frustrated.
"Any problems or questions?" I prompt after a moment of standing around and hard breathing. The brunette raises her arm in exasperation.
"She grabs my wrists and I can't break the grip... Then it's always a kicking match." I nod and step forward.
"Grab my wrist. Turn a little.. Yep, like that. This is hard to break with the other hand because she'll be looking for it, but if your hand is free, it just takes a strike or pressure on her wrist here. You push in and up.."
"Ow!" She says in surprise, her fist loosening until I can snap my hand free.
"Exactly. But that takes awhile. Another way is to strike just below the inside knob of her elbow. Her arm will go numb and the muscles might clench.
"The real key is to know what you're going to do next. Always be thinking one step ahead. It keeps you quick and efficient." I lower into my stance and gesture for the red head to do the same.
I go for a right punch, slower than my usual so she'll grab my wrist like she was doing to her earlier opponent. It works, and her grip is rock hard. I drive into her with my left shoulder and strike the inside of her left elbow. My right hand breaks free and she goes reeling backwards. I rush forward before she can recover and shove her back, hooking my foot around the back of her leg so she trips. She tumbles down and I quickly pin her, raising my fist above her head before pulling up.
"Jesus! They better not be that good!" She says with a little mirth from the ground. I offer my hand and pull her up.
"Sorry for making you an example," I say passively. Who really cares at this point. Either they get used to some pain and fighting or they succumb to our threat. "But you see, I had a plan the whole time. In this case I knew you'd grab my wrist, which I was counting on to show you what I meant earlier. But before I even tried for your grip, I got you off balance and unfocused. And once your hold was broken, I closed in so you didn't have time to recover or reset. I would've punched you right then and gone for the knock out but I didn't want to hurt you too bad. Tripping was less painful," I add with a grin.
"When you're fighting for your life, you have to go for it. Screw chivalry, screw tradition. If I'm in a choke hold, I'll bite their arm off to get away. There's no second chance."
"Is that your mentality these days?" A familiar voice asks with a slight tremor. My smile becomes forced and acidic.
"Keep practicing," I order flatly before turning and facing him. His skin is pale as ever, slightly burned rather than holding any form of tan. The blue eyes and dark hair are the only things marking us as family. Apart from that we look nothing alike.
He's wearing a black graphic t, a bright blue and orange snap back, dark jean cut off shorts, and blue and black Jordan's. Shoes he'd never have afforded before. Kind of hard to buy nice things when all of his money was being pumped into meth, weed, heroin, anything and everything. There's not a drug out there, prescription or not, that he hasn't tried. It used to put me in shock when I found him stoned or passed out in his room. Then he started experimenting away from home to avoid me calling an ambulance or our parents. Trying to keep him healthy only ever annoyed him.
I walk past him and into the shadows between the north warehouse and the west brick building. No one's over here, but I keep walking until we're behind the warehouse. Hopefully no one can hear us.
"Can I talk to you? You been icy since you saw me, but we're family-"
"Don't say that like it matters to you!" I snap. I don't have time for this bullshit.
"Don't say it like it matters to you!" He retorts. "You walked out on us! Mom and dad gave you everything, and you never said anything, until you were already gone! I was in rehab with no parents to back me up, and you weren't there."
"I wasn't there for you?! You're joking! You knew mom and dad smothered me! You knew I was having problems in school, older guys were being jackasses, and I had no friends, and you didn't give a shit! I tried to be there for you but you only care about drugs!"
"So typical of you! Cry and whine like a bitch about how everyone wanted you and you didn't want them! Other people have real problems, you know!" He sniffs and I narrow my eyes. His breaths are short and his eyes move around like he can't stand to look at one spot for too long. My hands dart out and I snatch his arm, raising it up to my eyes to see the irritation and fresh needle mark over the inside of his elbow. He pulls back and looks down.
"You're right. You do have real problems. The world ended. Mom and dad are probably dead. We could be dead in two days time, and you're still the same old you. I've matured a lot since I left, but you can't see past your drug induced haze to know what's really important! You could at least learn to hide your track marks after years of shooting up. You're pathetic, and I hope you-" *THUMP* In a sudden jolt, everything goes black.
{0.0}
Daryl wakes up in the back seat of a car, his arms bound tightly behind him. His legs are tied, too, and everything is muddled. He must make some noise, alerting the man next to him.
"He's up!" The man says, but he doesn't sound right. He sounds like he's speaking underwater. Maybe he is underwater. Daryl hears a swishing in his ears and his breaths are ragged. Definitely underwater. But why? Where am I?
People keep shouting around him, but the words make no sense. His vision starts to go black. That's when he feels the excruciating pain, all over his body. He moans and begs for the darkness to take him back. It complies, engulfing him in painless bliss.
{0.0}
"Whiney bitch, ain't she?"
"Damn right. Whatchu say you got for me?" I feel my head pounding.
"Three more shots of heroin. Same quality as the first."
"Right on!" My eyes squint open, and the blackness slowly gets lighter. I see two forms a few yards away. The one on the right is Matt, but the left... He's taller, broader..
"So where you gonna take her?"
"I'm thinking the warehouse attic. Nobody ever goes up there, 'specially since they're all busy training."
"Don't you think they'll notice her gone?"
"Well of course. But that's why you gotta stall them with some bullshit story. I only want like thirty minutes man." The voice cuts through to me. Jake.
"Whatcha gone do when you're done?"
"Probably kill her. Can't have her running around talking shit about what happens. Throw her over the wall and make it look like she tried to run away and an eater got her or something."
"You think they'll believe that?" I mentally grind my teeth. Jake just said he's going to kill me and the only thing Matt is concerned about is him getting caught.
My senses are sharpening but I want to pick the right time to strike. I flex my fingers and toes. They didn't even tie me up, stupid bastards.
"Maybe not, but they'll have nothing else to go by. Besides, they don't have time to really think about it."
"Well let's get a move on before someone comes around here."
"Go check the back fence." Matt saunters over to the back wall, and Jake watches him. Perfect. I try for stealth, rising up to a low crouch and moving directly behind Jake. I'm careful, but he hears the rustle.
It's a short fight. I duck under his left punch instinctually and put all of my power into a massive jab in the gut. He keels over, clenching the area. Matt takes off around the warehouse. Jake stubbornly tries to raise up and keep fighting. He goes for another obvious, significantly weaker punch. I deflect this one and knee him in the groin as hard as I can. He drops to the ground, and I grind my teeth to keep from yelling curses at him. I don't want the camp knowing about this. I kick him once in the back. I see a gun in his waistband and pat my holster. He stole my .45 and still couldn't overpower me.
A dark satisfaction washes over me. Dean would cower at me, now.
I swipe the .45 and aim it at his face.
"Get up. Now." He raises slowly, all the fight and strength having left his body.
"Walk to the fence." We cover the twenty yards. There are no guards over here yet. Everyone is training except a few on patrol, but they won't be by for a several minutes. I force Jake up the ladder.
"Leave. Never come back, or I'll tell everyone about what just happened here."
"You're sending me out there with no supplies?"
"Yes. Go." His face reddens, full of rage.
"You're killing me."
"Maybe. Guess that's up to you. Now jump over before I shoot you over!"
"You're going to regret this." He spits towards me, missing by a few feet. His form disappears over the wall, and I turn, heading for Matt's general direction.
"The fuck I will."
So... Don't fuck with Andy :D Andaryl is in some deep shit rn.
Review please!